What Is Duty Of Care InAged Care?

What does duty of care in aged care mean?

At its core, duty of care is a legal and ethical obligation to take reasonable steps to avoid causing harm to others. In aged care, this means every person involved in supporting an older Australian, whether a supplier, a Customer Care Manager or an organisation, has a responsibility to act in that person’s best interests at all times.

This goes beyond just following rules. It means genuinely considering the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of the person receiving care. It means making decisions that protect people from foreseeable harm while still respecting who they are and what they want.

From a legal standpoint, duty of care in aged care is supported by the New Aged Care Act and the Aged Care Quality Standards, which set clear expectations around safety, dignity and quality of service. From an ethical standpoint, it simply comes down to treating people the way they deserve to be treated.

How is duty of care applied in aged care?

Duty of care isn’t just a policy that sits in a manual. It plays out in real, everyday moments.

When a supplier helps someone with their morning routine, they’re applying duty of care by making sure the person is safe, comfortable and treated with respect. When medication support is provided, duty of care means following the correct procedures to avoid errors. When someone needs help moving around their home, it means using the right techniques and equipment to prevent falls.

In a home setting, duty of care also means being aware of the environment. Is the home free from hazards? Are there any risks that need to be flagged or addressed? If something doesn’t look right, responding appropriately and promptly is part of the obligation.

Duty of care also means being alert to changes. If a person’s health or circumstances shift, the right response is to act, communicate and adjust the level of support accordingly.

What are the duties of an aged care worker?

Suppliers and support workers play a vital role in bringing duty of care to life. Here’s what that looks like on the ground:

Maintaining professional standards

Support workers are expected to carry out their roles with competence and consistency. This means staying up to date with best practice, following agreed care plans and always delivering support in a way that is appropriate for the individual.

Following safe work practices

Every interaction carries a responsibility to work safely, for the client and for the worker. This means using correct manual handling techniques, following infection control procedures and knowing how to use any equipment involved in someone’s care.

Reporting concerns and following policies

If a worker notices something that doesn’t seem right, whether it’s a change in a client’s condition, a safety hazard or any form of mistreatment, they have a duty to report it through the right channels. This protects the client and upholds the integrity of the care being provided.

The New Aged Care Act and the Aged Care Quality Standards are good resources for understanding the duty statement for aged care and what is expected of every worker in the sector.

Balancing duty of care and dignity of risk

Duty of care doesn’t mean protecting someone from every possible risk. If it did, it would end up taking away a person’s freedom and sense of self.

That’s where dignity of risk comes in. This is the principle that every person has the right to make their own choices, even if those choices carry some level of risk. Choosing to garden, to catch public transport, to live independently at home, these are all meaningful parts of a person’s life. Taking those choices away, even with the best intentions, can cause real harm to a person’s wellbeing and sense of identity.

The goal is to find the middle ground. That means having honest conversations about risk, putting supports in place where needed and ultimately respecting the person’s right to decide.

See duty of care in action with Homecare My Way

At Homecare My Way, duty of care isn’t a checkbox. It’s built into everything we do. As a self-managed Support at Home provider, we believe that real care means respecting your choices, supporting your independence and being there when you need us.

Whether you’re exploring your options for the first time or thinking about switching providers, we’d love to chat. Call us on 1300 422 123 or grab a free copy of our Support at Home information guide to learn more.

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